GOP Leaders to Steve Bellone, Thomas Spota: Resign

Suffolk County Republican Caucus calls on Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and District Attorney Thomas Spota to resign amid mounting criminal & ethics investigations.

Three Suffolk Republican lawmakers called Tuesday for County Executive Steve Bellone to resign for selecting and standing by former police Chief of Department James Burke, and said District Attorney Thomas Spota should step down following investigations into county law enforcement.

At a news conference at the Riverhead County Center, Legis. Robert Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) and Legis. Tom Cilmi (R-Bay Shore) said Bellone should resign, while Minority Leader Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst), said Bellone should consider quitting. All called for Spota’s resignation.

Trotta said Bellone, a Democrat, stood by Burke, even after news media reports about internal affairs investigations that had occurred in the 1990s, when Burke was a county police officer. One of those investigations found Burke guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer for his sexual relationship with a known felon and losing his police-issued weapon twice.

Burke pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal charges of beating a burglary suspect and orchestrating a cover-up of the crime.

Also Tuesday, Trotta and Cilmi called for Suffolk Democratic chairman Richard Schaffer, who also is Babylon Town supervisor, to resign from one job or the other.

They argued that Schaffer, who introduced Burke and Bellone, is too involved in county government.

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Adapted from a news report in Newsday found here (link)